Apple allows EU users to download apps outside the App Store

On March 12, the US technology corporation Apple made a major concession in the fight to protect the monopoly position of the App Store application store on iPhone and other devices, thereby allowing users in the European Union (EU) to directly download applications from websites.

Apple announced the change to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect last week.

In the announcement, Apple said that starting this spring, software developers in the EU will be able to distribute apps directly from their websites to EU consumers, instead of having to distribute them through the App Store.

However, developers must still meet the terms and conditions set by Apple and must be authorized developers.

Apple also imposes a “core technology fee” of 0.50 euros ($0.55) per year for each user account, even if developers do not distribute their apps through the App Store or use Apple’s payment system.

Also according to Apple, iPhone users and devices running iOS operating system from version 17.4 onwards will be able to install applications from app stores of developers other than Apple's App Store.

The App Store is Apple's core business, generating steady revenue and high profits. The company currently charges developers up to 30% for distributing apps through the App Store.

Apple's decision to make concessions comes as the "bitten apple" is facing declining revenue and weak demand for smartphones in the Chinese market.

Last January, Microsoft overtook Apple to become the world's most valuable public company, after lagging behind the iPhone maker for the past decade.

Investors are concerned that Apple is falling behind rivals in the race to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The DMA was announced by the EU in September 2023 and took effect on March 7, forcing six technology giants including Apple, Google (owned by Alphabet), Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and ByteDance - the Chinese company that owns the popular video-sharing platform TikTok, to change the way they operate and open up their platforms to create a fairer market.

Under pressure from EU regulators, Apple last week also made a concession to video game developer Epic Games to operate its own game store on Apple devices in Europe.